On Wednesday, 33rd District State Senate hopeful and newly re-elected West New York Mayor Silverio “Sal” Vega hosted a press conference at his Union City campaign headquarters calling for a criminal investigation of alleged bribery, conspiracy, and civil rights abuses that he claims were perpetrated by his opponent, Assemblyman and Union City Mayor Brian Stack, and Stack’s surrogates.
However, Stack said that he was actually trying to clear up some allegedly fraudulent election activity.
The charge
Vega claims that dozens of people who filed with his county Democratic ticket to run for local Democratic committee offices, which represent neighborhoods in Union City, have been pressured to withdraw their petitions by Stack and top city and school officials.
Stack says that those people were misled into filing for those positions in the first place.
Two of the committee candidates were on hand at Vega’s press conference to share their experiences, and Vega also played recorded conversations of the incidents, which he said were turned over to law enforcement.
“At least 40 of these average citizens, many immigrants who speak little English, wanted to take part in the Democratic process by running for volunteer positions representing their neighborhoods,” said Vega. “They were subjected to campaign intimidation by top Union City officials and coerced into signing affidavits withdrawing their candidacies.”
Vega added, “We believe that Brian Stack is orchestrating this conspiracy to violate their civil rights and we are demanding a full criminal investigation.”
But how did 40 people who speak little English get involved in these elections in the first place?
Stack responds to claims
Stack responded to Vega’s press conference on Wednesday from his mobile City Hall office, where he was providing city services in Doric Park in Union City.
“This is a desperate attack by a do-nothing candidate,” charged Stack. “[This is an attempt] by the corrupt Hudson County Democratic machine to discredit me. It is clear that for 20 years [Vega] has been under the thumb of the HCDO machine.”
Stack and Vega are competing for the same state Senate seat in the 33rd District, which represents Union City, Weehawken, West New York, Hoboken, Guttenberg, and part of Jersey City. They are currently assemblymen. Stack is a member of the newly-formed Democrats for Hudson County (DFHC) political ticket, while Vega is running on the longstanding HCDO ticket.
Stack and Irizarry on tape
At the conference, Vega played a four-minute section of an hour-long recorded conversation made by committee candidate Dilcia Alexander during a meeting with Union City Commissioner Christopher Irizarry, an ally of Stack.
According to Alexander, who addressed the press in Spanish, Irizarry came to see her at her house on the same day she had first filed the petition to run for committee. She had filed it earlier that day.
At the time, Alexander said she was busy and asked him to return the next day, which according to her, he did at 7 a.m.
“[Mr. Irizarry] told me that the people [originally] bringing me the petition [to run] were committing a fraud,” said Alexander. “I was afraid because he told me I was doing something wrong.”
Alexander said that Irizarry showed her an affidavit withdrawing from the race and asked her to sign it.
” ‘Fraud’ was the word I felt intimidated by, so I decided to record the conversation,” said Alexander. “I felt pressured [to sign].”
She said she had her own personal tape recorder in the house.
While Irizarry was there, he called Stack so that Alexander would know that he was who he said he was. That is how Stack’s voice ended up on the tape.
On the tape played at the press conference, which was sometimes hard to hear, Stack appears to be offering to assist Alexander with her electrical bill.
But while Vega claims that it was a bribe to get Alexander to withdraw her candidacy, Stack and Irizarry claim the Vega team edited the tape to misconstrue the context.
“I would never do that,” said Stack, who has been in the political arena since the age of 14, and has prided himself on always trying to help people, especially those facing financial hardships.
“Last year we helped over 900 people with their utility bills,” said Stack. “Since I was 14 my goal has been to help people [even] with their personal problems.”
Irizarry also clarified that he never said that Alexander signed anything illegal.
” I went to follow up some complaints,” said Irizarry. “People said they were tricked into signing documents. I took the time to explain what was happening, and all we had done for the community. She led me to believe that she didn’t want to participate [in the election]. And to verify who I was, I called the mayor.”
In regard to the offer to assist financially, Irizarry said, “He [Stack] got on the phone and said, do you have complaints, and she said her rent was too high, but he said he doesn’t control the housing board. He then said in the future if you find an apartment that is cheaper or [need help] with a PSE&G bill, to come to the office.”
Alexander’s voice on the tape was difficult to hear when played for the Reporter later.
Alexander did sign an affidavit for withdrawal from Irizarry that stated, “I do not want to run for county committee.”
Then she asked for a copy of it, which later was turned over to Vega’s people.
Second tape
A second tape involves Freddy Gomez, a Spanish newspaper publisher who also works for the Hudson County Board of Elections.
In this tape, Gomez was heard asking candidate for committee Angie Espinal, who is also his tenant in Union City, to sign an affidavit, and telling her what to write.
This segment of the tape was clearly heard at the press conference.
Since she did not have a strong command of the English language, Gomez wrote out for her what to write down as the reason for her withdrawal, which she wrote as “That day I’m out the state.”
A copy of the Post-It note allegedly in Gomez’s handwriting was also provided by Espinal, who affirms that was Gomez’s writing and voice on the tape.
“They told me that I signed something that was fraudulent, and they would help me get out of it,” said Espinal in Spanish. “[They said] the situation was not good for me because I have a business. I told him I didn’t understand English and I needed someone to explain the document to me. He said that he could help me that no one in his house can go against Brian.”
Espinal said that she independently decided to tape the exchange with Gomez.
Gomez could not be reached on his cell phone by press time.
Stack said Gomez is not working on his campaign, and does not work for Union City.
Stack said that Gomez would need to answer any questions about that issue for himself.
Political tampering or grandstanding?
Stack claims the tape was edited by the Vega camp, and the conversation taken out of context. He claimed if everyone would listen to the hour-long un-edited segment, they would see no wrongdoing. Stack does not have a copy of the tape, but Vega said it was given to the FBI.
Stack also maintains that the affidavits for withdrawal from the county committee race were willingly signed by the people involved, and even included statements such as “I did not know what I was signing.”
In fact, Stack said that people were told when filing to run that they were actually supporting Stack by doing that, even though it wasn’t Stack’s supporters asking them to run.
Stack said that in any case, he decided not to file the affidavits and let them run.
But the Vega camp believes the affidavits weren’t filed because they realized they were being recorded. “We have decided to let them run and I am confident in our slate,” said Stack.
Stack also asked why the tapes weren’t turned over to law enforcement immediately, if he was doing something wrong.
“Stop the political grandstanding,” said Stack.
Vega believes the matter is more serious.
“We are not trying to sensationalize it,” Vega said, “and it’s a law enforcement matter now. We are calling out the Board of Elections to investigate this.” Jessica Rosero can be reached at jrosero@hudsonreporter.com